You might want to monitor the night sky over the next few weeks: The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower is on now, and will continue through much of May. There are nine meteor showers each year, and this one is among the better shows.
The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower started on April 19 and will run through May 28. It is considered to be an above average meteor shower, with the peak viewing period coming on the evening of May 6 and early morning hours of May 7, with perhaps 30 or so meteors per hour.
That, of course, is about one meteor every couple minutes. The Eta Aquarids are known to occasionally produce up to 60 meteors per hour during the peak viewing period. There will be a waning gibbous moon which will interfere a bit with viewing., but if the sky is clear, it is certainly worth checking out.
Comets are composed of a mixture of ice, rock, and dust. They are often described as “big dirty snowballs” a few miles in diameter orbiting around the sun. When they come near the sun, the heat causes them to shed ice and particles. These mostly sand-sized pieces of ice and rock create a “debris field” in outer space. So, when the earth passes through these debris fields, the pieces collide with the atmosphere and become glowing hot. Observed from the earth they are often referred to as “falling stars,” but are more accurately called meteors.
The Eta Aquarids are rather noteworthy because they are caused by particles from Halley’s Comet, which is perhaps the most widely known comet. It is named after English astronomer, mathematician, and physicist Edmond Halley who lived from 1656-1742. Among other accomplishments, Halley computed the periodicity of what we now know as Halley’s Comet as having an orbit of 75-76 years. Halley’s Comet made its last approach in 1986. Some of you may be able to see its next pass in 2061.
